Distributing chute for concrete mixers and agitators



Sept. 13, 1955 J. A. MASEK 2,717,769

DISTRIBUTING CHUTE FOR CONCRETE MIXERS AND AGITATORS Filed Aug. 10, 1955 3 Sheets-Shaev l Fla. l

INVENTOR. Joan A. MASEK w. Maura A-r-roRmcv J. A. MASEK Sept. 13, 1955 DISTRIBUTING CHUTE FOR CONCRETE MIXERS AND AGITATORS 3 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 10, 1953 INVENTOR. Jor-m A. Nmsxamv BY Afronmsv Sept. 13, 1955 J. A. MASEK 2,717,769

DISTRIBUTING CHUTE FOR CONCRETE MIXERS AND AGITATORS Filed Aug. 10, 1953 3 Sheets-Shrewv 3 INVENTOR.

- JOHN A. MASEK w. muq

ATTORNEY United States Patent DISTRIBUTING CHUTE FOR CONCRETE MIXERS AND AGITATORS John A. Masek, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to The T. L. Smith Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,274

5 Claims. (Cl. 259-172) This invention relates to transit or truck mixers and agitators and particularly to an improved distributing chute for such mixers and agitators. Truck mixers are generally provided with a distributing chute positioned to receive the discharged mix from the drum. The chute may be positioned to distribute the concrete where desired. On many jobs, however, it is desired to discharge into a hopper or other receptacle directly and in such instance the chute is not used and is in the way. Under these conditions it is convenient to be able to swing the chute away from the rear of the truck frame and some prior art structures allowed such movement but only with a sacrilice in strength of the chute assembly and rendering the chute highly vulnerable to damage.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a distributing chute which can be moved away from the rear of the truck and is very rugged when in its operative position beneath the discharge point of the drum.

Another object is to provide a distributing chute of thetype described which employs simple components unlikely to foul up with hardened concrete and avoiding use of springs, latches, and the like.

A further object is to provide a distributing chute of the type described which may be conveniently locked in either of two carrying positions.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out in, or be apparent from, the specification and claims, as will obvious modifications of the single embodiment shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a truck rn-ixer provided with the improved chute which is shown in position under the discharge of the drum;

the spout opening to receive concrete discharged from the drum when the drum is rotated in the discharge direction. The upper end of chute 18 is pivotally connected to arm 20 by pin 22. This armterminates in a bearing plate .23 which rides on plate bearing 24 and a shaft 25 extends downwardly from the bearing plate 23 through sleeve 26 to support the fork 28 at its lower end. Sleeve 26 is. carried by the box frame or leg 30 pivotally mounted on the plate 32 by means of a pin 34 which passes through brackets 36, 38. Sleeve 26 permits rotation of the vertical chute shaft 25 within the sleeve and the sleeve is rotatable about the shaft. A pair of angles are welded to sleeve 26 and converge to fit within brackets 44, 46 mounted on plate 32 and are suitably apertured to receive pin 48 which passes through the brackets and through the angles 40, 42. It will be appreciated that the load is principally carried by the box frame leg 30 and that the angles which make up the other leg serve principally to stabilize the construction and to resist lateral thrust applied to any part of the structure. The wide spread of the supporting leg 30 and the stabilizing leg 41 made up of the angle 40, 42 makes this structure as rigid as the usual fixed distributing chute structure.

The lower or outer end of chute 18 is supported by an adjustable, telescopic strut. The bottom part 49 of this strut is pivotally connected to fork 28 carried at the lower end of the shaft 25 and is provided with notches 50 adapted to receive the spring loaded latch or pawl 52 carried on the upper strut member 53 which is pivotally connected to the outer end of the chute. It will be appreciated that engagement of latch 52 with different notches 50 in the lower strut 49 will determine the height of the outer end of the chute. While forming no part of this invention, it should be noted that the outer end of chute 18 is provided with a pair of clevices 54 which are adapted to receive an extension chute unit in the manner common in the prior art. As many such extension units as may be necessary can be used.

The construction described above provides a vertical axis for the chute 18 which is directly below the center of the outlet of the spouts 16. This positioning of the vertical axis insures that the chute will at all times be Fig. 2 is a lan view of Fig. l and shows one carrying;

position of the chute in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the chute in position at the side of the truck frame;

Fig. 4 is an end view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an end view of Fig. 3 as indicated by line 5--5 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 66 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a view taken as indicated by line 7-7 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 in Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is a section on line 99 in Fig. 5; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section taken on line 1010 in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figs. 1 and 4 show the rear end of a rotating mixing drum 10 of a high-discharge type mick mixer mounted between the upright portions of the inverted U-shaped channel member 12 which is secured to the truck chassis. As customary in high-discharge mixers the axis of the drum is inclined upwardly and rearwardly to place the discharge opening 14 of the drum as high as practical. The usual funnel-like spouts 16 are provided to gather the discharge material and discharge it at a point centrally located with respect to the rear of the truck chassis.

The distributing chute 18 is positioned in Fig. 1 under under the spout to receive concrete discharged therefrom in'all positions of the chute about shaft 25. Thus the chute may serve to conduct the discharged concrete directly to the rear or may serve to discharge the concrete to one side or the other of the truck. The location of pivot pin 22 permits maximum utilization of the discharge height and permits adjusting the chute to a steep angle while also aiding in positioning the chute under the spout at all times.

In Fig. 2 the chute is rotated to the right-hand side of the rear of the chassis where bracket 56 may be engaged with latch 58 (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2) to hold the chute against the rear of the truck in transit. When it is desired to move the chute away to permit free access to the space below the spouts 16 pin 48 is removed from the stabilizing leg 41 to allow the entire assembly to be swung around pin 34 into the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In this position the vertical pivot axis of the chute is laterally disposed from the truck chassis but is still within the outer limits of the truck proper and lies alongside the chassis. The chute may be retained in this position by passing pin 60 through bracket 62 mounted on the U-shaped channel 12 and through the bracket 64 on the side of chute 18. This serves to hold the chute against the side of the chassis and at the same time prevent movement of the box frame leg 30. Leg member 41 may be engaged with latch 66 carried by the box frame member 30. Thus all the parts of the chute assembly can be locked up for transit and all danger of the chute or allied parts swinging about in a hazardous manner are eliminated. Obviously some play has to be allowed angles 40, 42 in their mounting in the box frame to permit angle 40 to be lifted over the edge of latch 66. After angle :40 has been so latched the weight of the angles will prevent the angles from becoming unlatched and swinging about freely.

By properly locating the box frame pivot 34 and by selecting .the length of the box frame the vertical :axis of the distributing chute is located rearwardly of .the chassis by approximately half the width of the distributing chute when the chute is in its normal operating position and is located laterally of the chassis approximately one half the width of the distributing chute when in the side carrying position. This makes it possible :to latch the chute in either the position shown in Fig. 2 or the position shown in Fig. 3 Without employing any complex swivel joints, chains, etc. It is a simple matter to move the chute into its distributing position from either of the two carrying positions. It should be noted that the side carrying position (Fig. 3) permits moving the entire chute assembly from under the discharge spouts in order to permit direct discharge into a hopper or other container when such operation is desired.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a transit type mixer having a drum rotatably mounted on a truck chassis with the discharge end of the drum located adjacent the rear of the chassis, a pair of legs pivotally interconnected and connected to the chassis at spaced apart points, one of the legs being pivotally connected to the chassis and the other of the legs being releasably connected to the chassis, a distributing chute mounted on a vertical pivot axis at the point of interconnction between the two legs and positioned below the discharge end of the drum, a bracket on the chute, a latch on the chassis, said bracket being engageable with said latch when the chute is moved about the vertical axis to lie against the rear of the truck chassis, said pivotally connected leg being movable about its pivotal axis upon release of said releasable connection to move the vertical pivotal axis of the chute to .a point laterally disposed of the tmck chassis and thereby allow the chute to be swung around adjacent the side of the chassis, and means for releasably connecting the chute to the chassis when lying alongside the side of the chassis.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said releasably connected leg is foldable back upon the pivotally connected leg when the pivotally connected leg is so positioned to place the chute at the side of the truck chassis, and means for latching the releasably connected leg to the pivotally connected leg in the last named position.

3. The combination with a transit truck mixer of the type having a mixing drum rotatably mounted on the truck chassis with its discharge end extending beyond the rear of the chassis, of a distributing chute assembly comprising, an arm pivotally mounted on the chassis, a second arm pivotally connected to the first arm and releasably connected to the chassis, a vertical pivot at the point of interconnection betweenthe two arms, an arm mounted on said pivot for movement thereabout, a chute pivotally mounted on said arm for movement about a horizontal axis, an adjustable strut connected to said chute and to said pivot, said chute being movable about said pivot and at all times underlying the discharge end of the drum when the second arm is connected to the chassis, said first arm being movable about its connection to the chassis upon release of the second arm to move said pivot laterally of the chassis sufliciently to allow the chute to swing alongside the chassis in a forwardly extending position, means for locking the side of the chute to the rear of the chassis with both of said arms connected to the chassis, and means for locking the chute with respect to the chassis in said forwardly extending position.

4. The combination according to claim 3 including means for locking the second arm to the first arm when the chute is in said forwardly extending position.

5.. The combination according to claim 3 in which said pivot is located approximately one-half the chute width to the rear of the chassis when both arms are connected to the chassis and is located approximately onehalf the chute width to the side of the chassis when the chute is in said forwardly extending position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 565,076 Harrison Aug. 4, 1896 1,890,982 Foster et ,al. Dec. 13, 1932 1,946,222 Maudt Feb. 6, 1934 2,257,161 Draeger Sept. 30, 1941 2,612,250 Sarosdy Sept. 30, 1952 

